M1a wont chamber reload, fits case gauge

Charlie98 said:

until I was actually able to drop in fired 7.62mm brass from my M1a into the Wilson case gauge.

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That's what they're supposed to do, from the directions:
Option 1 - LE WILSON Preferred Method
Measure AS-FIRED cases, then adjust sizing die to push back shoulder approx .002" for bolt gun and .004" for semi-autos
Option 2
Measure AS-FIRED cases from both gun's chambers, then adjust die to size the larger case so it will fit the smaller of the two chambers. Push shoulder back .002" for bolt actions and .004" for semi-autos.
Option 3
Adjust sizing die so AS-FIRED brass will sit at max or slightly under max headspace. If using this option it is best to check each case, especially if you are using a mixed bag of brass or range brass.

There's more

After you setup your die when resizing a case does the die actually come down and meet the shell holder?

Ron

Something else as to the various case gauges. I have several types and years ago wrote a little about a few I have tried. Each seem to have good and bad points.

Ron

JohnMc said:

That's what they're supposed to do, from the directions:

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The Wilson gauge is a go-no go type gauge, not a gauge to set your dies with... i.e. a comparator. Maybe I'm missing something... dunno... but I thought all it did was measure case length off the shoulder (go/no-go) and measure the neck length (again... go/no-go.)

Charlie98 said:

The Wilson gauge is a go-no go type gauge, not a gauge to set your dies with... i.e. a comparator. Maybe I'm missing something... dunno... but I thought all it did was measure case length off the shoulder (go/no-go) and measure the neck length (again... go/no-go.)

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It's a measure before (fired) and after (sized) deal.

Charlie98 said:

The Wilson gauge is a go-no go type gauge, not a gauge to set your dies with... i.e. a comparator. Maybe I'm missing something... dunno... but I thought all it did was measure case length off the shoulder (go/no-go) and measure the neck length (again... go/no-go.)

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You would be correct and right on target. The Wilson gauges are a Go/NoGo gauge. They provide no numeric data. Here is an example of a Wilson Gauge for .308 Winchester and .223 Remington.



Using a .308 Winchester as an example. Case head to a datum on the .308 shoulder where the shoulder diameter is 0.4" should be 1.630 inches. That is nominal Go. The NoGo is 1.634". On the Wilson gauges the step of the cut groove is 0.004" so the bottom of the groove is 1.630" from the cartridge datum and the top is 1.634" so any case between the top and bottom of the groove should chamber in a chamber cut for .308 Winchester. Chambers have headspace and cartridges don't. Chamber headspace is measured with a headspace gauge another animal.



Now if we want numbers the Hornady kit will give us numbers, it's actually a comparator affair because the numbers aren't actually true.



The idea being measure a case before and after and do the math. Then bump the shoulder back about 0.002" for a bolt gun and about 0.004" for a semi auto like the M1A. Just don't take the numbers as gospel as we can see in the above image.

Finally my gauge of choice is the RCBS Precision Mic.



Insert a 1.630 precision headspace gauge and we get.


The image has some parallax error and the gauge is actually dead on.

Ron

It won't necessarily be the headspace on the reloaded case that will cause the case to fail to chamber.

frogfurr said:

It won't necessarily be the headspace on the reloaded case that will cause the case to fail to chamber.

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No, could be any of a half dozen reasons.

Ron

ericuda said:

I'll have my new die this weekend and I'm curious what I will get. I thought about throwing a feeler gauge underneath case between it and shellholder to maybe size body a bit more. I have that Wilson gauge but I guess doesn't accurately measure if body is sized. I am amazed at how many different case go no gauges there are. Glad factory ammo chambers so I just have to duplicate that.

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No die set I am aware of will do that. Rcbs designs there dies to minimum chamber dimensions. A lot of factory is at minimum cartridge dimension. It's the upper Sammi drawing vs the bottom.

ericuda said:

I guess i meant I'm curious how a different die sizes than the current die I am using.

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There are some differences. My primary dies are either RCBS or Hornady, and even there, there are differences.... not earth-shattering differences, but enough that a small conflict in dimensions can cause a problem... like yours.

ericuda said:

I guess i meant I'm curious how a different die sizes than the current die I am using.

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A call to Springfield may help you determine which die they recommend to closely match the reamer they use.... the other option is to call the tech at a die manufacturer you want to use.... I have the direct number to the rcbs lead diemaker somewhere.... I spent several back and forths on the phone and email before I understood rcbs makes minimum chamber spec dies not minimum spec ammunition dies.

For the truly curious at heart the below is a marked up SAAMI drawing of a .308 Winchester cartridge and chamber. Note that headspace dimensions only apply to chamber dimensioning.



For anyone curious as to how to get and see their actual chamber dimensions I use CERROSAFE® CHAMBER CASTING ALLOY which is an alloy having a low melting point. Easy to use and get the hang of. While I never tried it you can likely make a casting of a sizing die giving you the true inside dimensions. Cerrosafe directions for use.

Ron

AJC1 said:

A call to Springfield may help you determine which die they recommend to closely match the reamer they use...

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I wouldn’t do that. Like many firearm companies, Springfield will void your warranty if they suspect you’re using reloads.

Nevertheless, M1A chamber dimensions aren’t exotic and should be within SAAMI specs. The root cause of the issue is most likely in the OPs reloading process

Nature Boy said:

I wouldn’t do that. Like many firearm companies, Springfield will void your warranty if they suspect you’re using reloads.

Nevertheless, M1A chamber dimensions aren’t exotic and should be within SAAMI specs. The root cause of the issue is most likely in the OPs reloading process

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By that train of thought they could require a receipt for every round shot in it.... I don't live based on concern of warranty because I don't intend to lie when it's needed. Probably helpful I'm not the original owner of any of the current guns I own.

Nature Boy said:

I wouldn’t do that. Like many firearm companies, Springfield will void your warranty if they suspect you’re using reloads.

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Not just that - there's a high likelihood that barrel chambers will vary from batch to batch, supplier to supplier. Even if they claim to make them in - house, outsourcing occurs more frequently than one would think.

I don't have an M1 but I gotta ask, is it possible that it's the bullet hitting the lands and not the brass that's preventing chambering?

Redding makes these. I have no experience with them.

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AJC1 said:

By that train of thought they could require a receipt for every round shot in it.... I don't live based on concern of warranty because I don't intend to lie when it's needed. Probably helpful I'm not the original owner of any of the current guns I own.

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I get it. I shot a lot of reloads in my M1A without concerns. If I would have damaged it as a result of my reloads I wouldn’t expect Springfield to fix it.

With that said, Springfield’s warranty is for the lifetime of the firearm, not just the original owner. It’s a generous “no questions” warranty covering most of the rifle but it’s bound by their rules. If they know you shot reloads in it they likely won’t cover any failures, reload related or not.

Nature Boy said:

I get it. I shot a lot of reloads in my M1A without concerns. If I would have damaged it as a result of my reloads I wouldn’t expect Springfield to fix it.

With that said, Springfield’s warranty is for the lifetime of the firearm, not just the original owner. It’s a generous “no questions” warranty covering most of the rifle but it’s bound by their rules. If they know you shot reloads in it they likely won’t cover any failures, reload related or not.

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Sounds almost as good as vortex, seems a reasonable thing to try and protect.

I had this happen with a brand new barrel on a bolt gun. The chamber was tight and resizing just never worked out well. I quit chasing the issue and bought new brass that solved the problem. That new brass is now dedicated to that rifle...